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Mariners unveil 2013 Spring Training schedule

Mariners unveil 2013 Spring Training schedule

The Mariners and Padres renew the lease on their Spring Training facilities, keeping them in Peoria, Ariz. until 2034

By Greg Johns
/
MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- The Mariners will open their Cactus League schedule on Feb. 22 against the Padres at Peoria Stadium in the earliest starting date in club history, the team announced Monday.

For those counting, it is officially 78 days until Mariners pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 12 to Peoria, Ariz., with the first workout set for Feb. 13.

Position players are due to report by Feb. 15, with the first full-squad workout on Feb. 16. That gives the team a week to prepare for its first game, the annual charity contest with the Padres.

Because of the World Baseball Classic, camps open slightly earlier than normal. Players participating in the Classic will report to their Major League camps for physicals and early work before joining their country's teams to compete in the international tournament in early March.

The earliest previous Cactus League opener for the Mariners was Feb. 25, 2009, which was the last year the Classic was held.

The Mariners reported to Peoria about the same time last year, on Feb. 11, a week earlier than other MLB teams because of their early regular-season start in Japan. But they didn't play their first Cactus League game until March 2.

This will be the 20th Spring Training for the Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex, which will undergo a major reconstruction after the Mariners conclude their work this spring in accordance with a new lease signed last year that will keep the team at the facility through 2034.

This spring's 35-game schedule will include 20 games at Peoria Stadium, beginning with three straight contests against the Padres from Feb. 22-24 and then a home game against the Angels on Feb. 25 before the Mariners hit the road to face the Brewers in Phoenix on Feb. 26.

The spring schedule includes three night games in Peoria, beginning with a March 15 game against a World Baseball Classic team from the Asia qualifier. Night games also will be played March 19 against the defending World Series champion Giants and March 21 vs. the Cubs.

The Mariners close out Cactus League action on March 28 against the Cubs in Mesa, then play the Rockies on March 30 at Spring Mobile Park in Salt Lake City in their final warmup before the regular-season opener April 1 at Oakland.

Seattle's home opener at Safeco Field will be Monday, April 8, against the Astros, the new American League West addition, in a 7:10 p.m. PT contest.

Tickets for all Mariners games at Peoria Stadium are priced from $7 to $28 and will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 5, at 9 a.m. PT and can be purchased by phone (800-677-1227), online at Mariners.com or in person at the Peoria Sports Complex box office.

Group ticketing, season tickets and Spring Training tour packages are also available.

Radio and television schedules for Cactus League games have not yet been finalized.